BrooksBurner

Here's my two cents. PP2 hasn't done much damage all year no matter who is out there. The chances of them scoring are low, and they are playing the top rated PK unit from the season that can turn the tables and put a shortie up on the board. Yeah yeah, I know their PK unit hasn't fit this billing this series, but they got close a couple of times to scoring a shortie in previous games and Laviolette isn't going to disrespect them because his PP1 unit happened to have success against their PK for 2 games (sidebar: Rangers 0/4 on PP last night). The approach appears to be to aggressively try to score with PP1, and then cautiously try to score with two defensemen on PP2. I think that's the right play against the Canes in close games or playing with the lead. There's no reason to risk letting a well below average PP2 unit give up a back breaking shortie. Perhaps if there was a combination that was more successful throughout the season, it'd be a little different. I did take issue with the 3rd period PP strategy last night though. I don't think PP1 was near aggressive enough, and I think PP2 got out there too early to play the cautious approach. I'd rather use my best players to go for the throat, especially if they're producing, but that's just me. I also have 0 games coached and Laviolette has over 2000, so there's that.

It's a hog wash narrative. Those people aren't adjusting to what the stats are telling them. Everyone here knows I pay attention to 5v5 xG as a strong indicator of success, but I never use it in a vacuum because how the total is being arrived at matters. High danger chances is a massive part of it and that has been at worst a draw and at best a slight edge to the Rangers all series at 5v5. The expectation before the series was that the Canes were going to generate significantly more high danger chances than the Rangers at 5v5, and based on the season's stats it was a reasonable and >50% expectation of happening. It simply hasn't played out like that at all. Shoulda, coulda, woulda, but not-a happenin. Sucks for them.

Yup. There's give and take. I'm referring moreso to his play when the puck is unstable in the defensive zone. Panicking and reactively getting rid of the puck without a plan only contributes to the instability, leads to turnovers and chaos, and essentially feeds the backbone of the Hurricanes' entire offensive game plan. He doesn't have a problem remaining calm and turning it into a board battle. It slows the game down against a fast team, allows the rest of his teammates to gather and re-position themselves, and provides a situation the Rangers can still win clean control for a break the other way. I've noticed him do this several times.

Speaking of Hartford, the Wolf Pack are in the 2nd round up 2-1 against the Bruins, a win away from moving on. Othmann a goal and 4 points in 6 playoff games, Berard a goal and 5 points

We have all been talking about Chytil's career potentially being over at various points this season. To see him on the ice is an awesome rallying point. I was kind of surprised to see the focus being on Rempe losing his 6 minutes a game, overshadowing Chytil's unlikely comeback this year.

He has another year left on his current bridge contract and his birthday is in October. Next year is his age 23 season. His next contract won’t start until his age 24 season. An 8 year deal when it expires puts him at 31 years old as a UFA going on his age 32 season.

A lot of players like to cash in on a big 8 year “take me to retirement” deal around 29-30. An 8 year extension would take him to 31, at which time he might be looking at 4-6 year offers instead. I’d bet they’ll settle on 5-6 years at $6-7M, which takes him to 28-29, but the Rangers should still try for that 8 year extension and hope sweetening the AAV by 1-2m is good enough.

We heard incessantly about how we got 1OA a year too late (Lafreniere instead of Hughes), and I won’t pretend I hadn’t thought that before myself, so I’m just gonna go ahead and say it. Jack Hughes might always be the more naturally gifted player with that coveted speed, but Lafreniere might always be the better, winning hockey player.

Yup, exactly, and in general he just has a knack for carrying the puck deep and helping establish zone time. Kakko's strength is playing with zone time. He's pretty shit on the rush.

Can't believe you led the donut brigade against him

It'd be interesting to see for sure. I wouldn't mind seeing it in this run, but it'd be a great line to see out of the gate next year. IDK what it is about Wennberg though. He's got very little going on offensively, but there's a lot of trust in him just making the right simple plays. He doesn't really panic with the puck in any zone. He knows when to settle it down when things might be getting hairy. He's a cool customer, and is probably a good anchor between Chytil and Kakko. I think I'd pass on moving any of the Rangers' centers around unless they need a jolt.

That's where getting Chytil involved comes in. He might make something out of Kakko and that 3rd line in general. Last time Kakko was truly buzzing, it was on the same line with Chytil. That Cuylle-Wennberg-Kakko line had been responsible and you could trust it not to blow the game, but they weren't contributing a lick offensively.

No way jose. Can’t mess around, be like this

This is probably obvious, but they can’t let this series go past 5 games. If it gets to 6, it’s probably going 7. Do the easy thing. Show up as focused and in a must win state of mind tomorrow, and just win baby. Then rest up and watch the bloodbath that is the Florida/Boston series.